What happens if an asteroid hits the moon? 26JUL2025

 What happens if an asteroid hits the moon? Asteroid 2024 YR4

What happens if an asteroid hits the moon?

Astronomers are racing to find answers

By Ashley Strickland, CNN, July 25, 2025

https://www.cnn.com/2025/07/25/science/asteroid-2024-yr4-potential-lunar-impact

2024 YR4, NASA

When asteroid 2024 YR4 was first discovered, it

was thought the asteroid had a very small chance

of impacting Earth on Dec. 22, 2032. After more

observations, NASA has concluded the object poses

no significant impact risk to Earth in 2032 and beyond.

https://science.nasa.gov/solar-system/asteroids/2024-yr4/

Will asteroid 2024 YR4 hit the Moon?, European Space Agency

https://science.nasa.gov/solar-system/asteroids/2024-yr4/

2024 YR4 - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2024_YR4

Yours,

Paul H.

Earth’s ‘oldest’ impact structure is much younger than previously thought – new study 25JUL2025

 Earth’s ‘oldest’ impact structure is much younger than previously thought – new study

Earth’s ‘oldest’ impact crater is much younger than previously thought – new study

Aaron Cavosie and Alec Brenner, The Conversation, July 9, 2025,

https://theconversation.com/earths-oldest-impact-crater-is-much-younger-than-previously-thought-new-study-259803

Note: “impact structure" is the correct terminology as the crater has long since

destroyed by erosion and tectonics.

The open access papers are:

Kirkland, Christopher L.; Johnson, Tim E.; Kaempf, Jonas; Ribeiro, Bruno V.;

Zametzer, Andreas; Smithies, R. Hugh; McDonald, Brad (6 March 2025).

"A Paleoarchaean impact crater in the Pilbara Craton, Western Australia". Nature

Communications. 16 (1): 2224. ISSN 2041-1723. PMC 11885519. PMID 40050265.

https://www.nature.com/articles/s41467-025-57558-3

https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC11885519/

Brenner, Alec R.; Cavosie, Aaron J.; Palma-Gomez, Jasmine; Li, Joanna;

Kingsbury Lee, Sophie-An; Fu, Roger R. (11 July 2025). "Geology and Mars

analog potential of the <2.7-billion-year-old Miralga impact structure, North

Pole Dome, Pilbara Craton, Australia". Science Advances. 11 (28).

https://www.science.org/doi/10.1126/sciadv.adu5379

Yours,

Paul H.

Study finds link between Grand Canyon landslide and Meteor Crater impact 22JULY2025

 Study finds link between Grand Canyon landslide and Meteor Crater impact

Study finds link between Grand Canyon landslide and Meteor

Crater impact by University of New Mexico, PhysOrg, July 15, 2025

https://phys.org/news/2025-07-link-grand-canyon-landslide-meteor.html

Grand Canyon landslide due to Meteor Crater impact?

EarthSky, July 20, 2025

https://earthsky.org/earth/grand-canyon-landslide-and-lake-due-to-meteor-crater-impact/

The open access paper is:

Karlstrom, K.E., Baisan, C.H., Kring, D.A., Hereford, R., Turney, C.,

Hogg, A., Norman, L.M., O’Brien, P., Palmer, J.G., Rittenour, T.M.

and Ballensky, J., 2025. Grand Canyon landslide-dam and paleolake

triggered by the Meteor Crater impact at 56 ka. Geology.

Yours,

Paul H.

Have we finally solved mystery of magnetic moon rocks? 20JUL2025

 Have we finally solved mystery of magnetic moon rocks?

Have we finally solved mystery of magnetic moon rocks?

Simulations show how e/ects of asteroid impact could amplify the early Moon's weak magnetic field. Jennifer Ouellette, ArsTechnica, May 2025

https://arstechnica.com/science/2025/05/have-we-finally-solved-mystery-of-magnetic-moon-rocks/

The open access paper is:

S. Narrett, I., Oran, R., Chen, Y., Miljković, K., Tóth, G.,

Mansbach, E.N. and Weiss, B.P., 2025. Impact plasma

amplification of the ancient lunar dynamo. Science

Advances, 11(21), p.eadr7401.

https://www.science.org/doi/10.1126/sciadv.adr7401

Yours,

Paul H.

Rare daytime fireball spotted in skies over Alabama 4 other states 26JUN2025 House Hit Meteorites Found!

Rare daytime fireball spotted in skies over Alabama 4 other states 26JUN2025 

House Hit Meteorites Found!

Rare daytime fireball spotted in skies over Alabama, 4 other states

Patrick Darrington, AlCom, June 26, 2025

https://www.al.com/news/2025/06/rare-daytime-fireball-spotted-in-skies-over-alabama-4-other-states.html

Yours,

Paul H.

A Mysterious Meteorite Fell to Earth From a Planet That Doesn't Exist

NWA 15915- A Mysterious Meteorite Fell to Earth From a Planet That Doesn't Exist

A Mysterious Meteorite Fell to Earth From a Planet That Doesn't Exist

Scientists think it came from a planet similar to Mercury, but not Mercury.

by Darren Orf, Popular Mechanics, March 21, 2025

https://www.popularmechanics.com/space/solar-system/a64233228/mercury-meteorite/

Northwest Africa 15915  Meteorological Bulletin

https://www.lpi.usra.edu/meteor/metbull.php?code=79980

Weird meteorite may be relic of lost planet that no longer exists

by Alex Wilkins, New Scientist, March 18, 2025

https://www.newscientist.com/article/2472541-weird-meteorite-may-be-relic-of-lost-planet-that-no-longer-exists/

Yours,

Paul H.

Real VS Fake Libyan Desert Glass and Moldavite

 Real VS Fake Libyan Desert Glass and Moldavite

Real VS Fake Libyan Desert Glass

Earth Science Fun

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DG6cC3GHhvg

Real VS Fake Moldavite and How to Tell the Difference

Earth Science Fun

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lPtvAIo9NF8

Moldavites: Natural Or Fake? Jaroslav Hyršl, GIA

https://www.gia.edu/gems-gemology/spring-2015-gemnews-moldavites-natural-fake

Fake moldavites

Moldavite Museum

https://www.vltaviny.cz/en/moldavites/fake-moldavites

Yours,

Paul H.

Officials confirm meteorites up to 2 pounds fell to Earth in Maine 07MAR2025

 Officials confirm meteorites up to 2 pounds fell to Earth in Maine

NASA: A meteorite fell in Down East, Maine

Eyewitnesses reported hearing a "sonic boom" when a meteorite fell in Washington County in l

ate February, according to NASA.

News Center Maine, March 6, 2025

https://www.newscentermaine.com/article/tech/science/aerospace/nasa-meteorite-washington-county-maine-codyville/97-5d6cf3f3-1020-4f75-b201-d2878c7758a0

Officials confirm meteorites up to 2 pounds fell to Earth in Maine

This is less than 2 years after the first radar-

observed meteorite fall ever seen in Maine

WMTW, Maine, March 6, 2025

https://www.wmtw.com/article/officials-confirm-meteorites-maine-washington-county/64067741

Radar detects meteorites landed in northern Washington County

by Meteorologist Ryan Munn, WGME, March 6th

https://wgme.com/news/local/radar-detects-meteorites-landing-in-northern-washington-county-maine-space-rocks

Yours,

Paul H.

Earth’s oldest impact structure was just found in Australia

 Earth’s oldest impact structure was just found in Australia

Earth’s oldest impact crater was just found in Australia

– exactly where geologists hoped it would be

Tim Johnson, The Conversation, March 6, 2025

https://theconversation.com/earths-oldest-impact-crater-was-just-found-in-australia-exactly-where-geologists-hoped-it-would-be-250921

the open access paper is;

Kirkland, C.L., Johnson, T.E., Kaempf, J. et al. A

Paleoarchaean impact crater in the Pilbara Craton,

Western Australia. Nat Commun 16, 2224 (2025).

https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-025-57558-3

https://www.nature.com/articles/s41467-025-57558-3

Yours,

Paul H.

What if Asteroid Bennu hit Earth? 09FEB2025

What if Asteroid Bennu hit Earth? 

What if Asteroid Bennu hit Earth?

Kelley, Kizer Whitt, EarthSky, February 7, 2025

https://earthsky.org/space/what-if-bennu-hit-earth-simulations/

"Asteroid Bennu is a 1,640-foot-wide (500-meter-wide)

space rock that has a 1-in-2,700 chance of hitting Earth

in September 2182.”

More about asteroid 2024 YR4

Odds of an asteroid impact in 2032 just went up.

Here's why experts say you shouldn't worry

"We are still at 97.7% chance of a miss from this asteroid."

Robert Lea, SpaceCom, https://www.space.com/asteroid-2024yr4-odds-increase-no-concern

Why the Odds of an Asteroid Striking Earth in 2032 Keep Going Up (and Down).

NASA and European scientists explain how they calculate the probability of the

space rock 2024 YR4 impacting our planet, and why it’s not yet time to worry.

New York Times, Robin George Andrews, February 8, 2025, paywalled

https://www.nytimes.com/2025/02/08/science/asteroid-yr4-2024-impact-odds.html

Yours,

Paul H.

Impact origin of Grand canyons on the Moon. 07FEB2025

 Impact origin of Grand canyons on the Moon.

Bullet-fast moon rocks carved 2 lunar gorges deeper than the Grand Canyon

Charles Q. Choi, SpaceCom, February 4, 2025

https://www.space.com/the-universe/moon/bullet-fast-moon-rocks-carved-2-lunar-gorges-deeper-than-the-grand-canyon

The open access paper is:

Kring, D.A., Kallenborn, D.P. & Collins, G.S. Grand canyons on the Moon.

Nat Commun 16, 1146 (2025). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-024-55675-z

https://www.nature.com/articles/s41467-024-55675-z

Yours,

Paul H.

Astronomers are tracking an asteroid PHA 2024 YR4 that could hit Earth in 2032 02FEB2025

 Astronomers are tracking an asteroid PHA 2024YR4 that could hit Earth in 2032

-Potentially Hazardous Asteroid, PHA 2024 YR4

Astronomers are tracking an asteroid that could hit Earth in 2032

Scott Neuman, Nationalk Public radio, February 2, 2025

https://www.npr.org/2025/02/02/nx-s1-5282071/asteroid-meteor-2024-nasa-earth

Active IAWN Notification, International Asteroid Warning Network

https://iawn.net/index.shtml

Potential for Impact of Near-Earth Asteroid 2024 YR4 on 22 December 2032

https://iawn.net/documents/NOTIFICATIONS/IAWN_Potential_Impact_Notification_2024_YR4.pdf

Yours,

Paul H.

Doorbell camera catches rare footage of meteorite striking home’s front walkway 25JAN2025

 Doorbell camera catches rare footage of meteorite striking home’s front walkway

By Jackie Wattles, CNN, January 22, 2025

https://www.cnn.com/2025/01/22/science/meteorite-strike-doorbell-camera/index.html

See – And Hear – Meteorite Crash To Earth

Weather Channel, January 21, 2025

https://weather.com/science/space/video/see-and-hear-meteorite-crash-to-earth-on-sidewalk

Shocking thing:' Watch first-of-its-kind video of meteorite crashing outside a home

Amaris Encinas, USA Today, January 23, 2025

https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/world/2025/01/23/meteorite-strikes-earth-charlottetown-canada-video/77910791007/

Yours,

Paul H.

Fossil Ivory Smuggler Facing Prison in Russia 18JAN2025

Fossil Ivory Smuggler Facing Prison in Russia

Smuggling fossil ivory doesn’t pay in Russia.

‘Ice ivory’ smuggler foiled in Russia – officials (PHOTO)

https://www.rt.com/russia/610015-mammoth-tusk-smuggling-russia/

One more article is:

The climate crisis has sparked a Siberian mammoth tusk gold rush

Sabrina Weiss, Wired, November 8, 2019

https://www.wired.com/story/mammoth-tusk-hunters-russia-china/

Yours,

Paul H.

Preprints often make news. Many people don’t know what they are 08JAN2025

 Preprints often make news. Many people don’t know what they are

The public needs context about unreviewed manuscripts, survey suggests

Jeffrey Brainard, Science Advisor, SAA, January 6, 2025

https://www.science.org/content/article/preprints-often-make-news-many-people-don-t-know-what-they-are

The open access paper is:

Fleerackers, A., Ratcliff, C.L., Wicke, R., King, A.J. and Jensen, J.D., 2024.

Public understanding of preprints: How audiences make sense of unreviewed

research in the news. Public Understanding of Science, p.09636625241268881.

https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/09636625241268881

Yours,

Paul H.